“I Don't Know How to Be Anybody Else”: Dolly Parton Celebrates Her 80th Birthday

Today (Monday, January 19th 2026), one of country music's most influential artists, Dolly Parton, celebrates her 80th birthday, with fans, artists and public figures taking the opportunity to share their appreciation for the ‘I Will Always Love You’ hitmaker.

Parton is almost unanimously viewed as the Queen of Country, with the Tennessee native having transcended the boundaries of the genre many decades ago. Now, Parton is synonymous with iconic crossover hits such as ‘Islands in the Stream’ with Kenny Rogers, ‘9 to 5’ and ‘I Will Always Love You’, which Whitney Houston famously covered and immortalised as part of the The Bodyguard soundtrack.

Perhaps more importantly than the music Parton has released throughout her career and continues to work on, though, is the country megastar's incredibly generous philanthropic work. Parton contributed extensively to the COVID-19 vaccine effort, donating directly to Moderna's research, as well as founding the Imagination Library - a means for children to improve their literacy and cultivate a love of reading.

In an interview reshared by CBS in honour of Parton's 80th birthday, the trailblazing multi-hyphenate reflects on the importance of self-belief over the course of her journey.

Parton begins with a classic quip, “I often say I'm comfortable in my own skin, no matter how far I've stretched it as the years go by!” before touching on the secret to her outlook on life, “But I think there's a lot to be said about being comfortable with who you are, because I don't know how to be anybody else. I don't want to be anybody else. I'm not responsible for anybody else, but I'm responsible for me. But I think there's a lot to be said about self-confidence. I was confident in my talent, and I was confident in who I was as a person, so I've just held onto that”.

Parton goes on to cite her faith as a key factor in her longevity and a constant source of comfort and confidence, “I think a lot of my self-confidence too is that I'm grounded in the spirit as well. I grew up in the church, and my grandpa was a preacher. I also got a lot of confidence from that, you know, believing that God loved me no matter what, and that we're supposed to love ourselves and love one another”.

These wise words epitomise the message of love and unity Parton has always stood for, never choosing to wade into politics or other divisive arenas, instead establishing herself personally and through her music as a radiant beacon of light and hope for fans.

Even last week, prior to celebrating her 80th birthday, Parton released a new version of her 1977 hit, ‘Light of a Clear Blue Morning’, featuring Miley Cyrus, Queen Latifah, Lainey Wilson and Reba McEntire. The surprise revamp was designed to offer some much-needed optimism, with proceeds going towards Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, of which Parton is a pivotal donor.

It's been a challenging twelve months for Parton, losing her husband of almost 60 years, Carl Dean, last March, before being forced to dispel speculation that her health was going downhill later in the year, following calls made by her sister, Freida, for fans to pray for Parton. Her health issues were then revealed to be kidney stones.

Thankfully, Parton appears to remain in fine fettle, often making appearances at awards ceremonies and on social media to promote her various ventures, such as her photographic journal, Star of the Show: My Life on Stage, which arrived in November, and her children's book, Billy The Kid Dances His Heart Out, which came out the following month. Parton is a touchstone both for how to be a game-changing songwriter and vocalist, and how to handle fame and the trappings that come with it, with various artists today, from Lainey Wilson to Sabrina Carpenter, citing Parton as a primary influence. Long may Parton's reign continue.

For more on Dolly Parton, see below: